MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday condemned the perpetrators of the Boston Marathon bombing even as he expressed sympathy with the families of the victims.

The President’s deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Boston Marathon has always been an “annual celebration of the human spirit: of endurance, friendly competition, and community celebration.’’

“We condemn those who dared defile this event and who have cast such a pall of loss and suffering in the city of Boston and the entire United States,’’ she added in a statement.

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At the same time, Valte said: “The President personally conveys a message of deep sympathy, concern, and solidarity with the people of Boston, where he and his family had found refuge during martial law, and which so many Filipinos call home. Boston is a city of bravery, openness, and liberty: this tragedy will not change these essential truths, and points of pride, for this great city.’’

The Aquino administration joins the international community “in extending our deepest sympathy to those who have lost loved ones in the bombing of the Boston Marathon,’’ Valte said.

“At this moment, scores are being treated for injuries, some of them quite life-threatening. We offer our prayers and best wishes for their recovery,’’ she said.

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